Environment

Moyers: The delusional Right

First, a reminder to set your Tivo for Friday night when Bill Moyers presents his final episode of "Now" on PBS. The last installment will focus on the right wing's subversion of the media. Required viewing.

Last Friday, Moyers wrote an amazing piece for TomPaine.com which analyses the right's delusions about the environment and how religion influences their destructive tendencies. These formerly fringe elements of the right wing have now become, Moyers says, the mainstream, much to the chagrin of the planet.

He writes, "...millions of Christian fundamentalists may believe that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed—even hastened—as a sign of the coming apocalypse... We're not talking about a handful of fringe lawmakers who hold or are beholden to these beliefs." Continuing:

Nearly half the U.S. Congress before the recent election—231 legislators in total, more since the election -- are backed by the religious right. Forty-five senators and 186 members of the 108th congress earned 80 to 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian right advocacy groups. They include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Assistant Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Conference Chair Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Policy Chair Jon Kyl of Arizona, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Majority Whip Roy Blunt.

Not surprisingly, it's a stunning essay which ultimately questions why we've allowed the betrayal of our children in the name of delusional, Revelations-hyped environmental policy. Read it here.